St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-12-01
Ghe TaIedunian,
A NOTABLE VERMONT FARM.
The Way a Congressman Farms.


Last week we gave our readers some
brief mention of Gen. CIRCUITS farming
operations, culled from an exhaustive
article by Editor Blake in the Barton
Monitor. That paragraph spoke OF
the size of the farm (450 acres) its thor
Ough system of under drainage, pro-
ductiveness, etc. AS most know the
farm is situated five miles east of this
place in the town of Kirby and is the
home farm which has been in the
+ Il GrOut family for three generations.
1t has been ably and successfully man
aged for many years by Capt. G. o.
Ford, whose wife is Gen. CIRCUITS
sister. Below we copy further from
the article alluded to above:
The basement of the large barn con-
tains manure vault in one side and
end, long stable beside the manure
room, and a space used for silo pur-
poses. Beneath the lower stable in
which steers, oxen, bulls, etc, are
housed, the ground is cemented, and
the liquid manure runs into a cistern
from which it is pumped OH the manure
which falls from the upper stables.
The whole surface upon which the
manure falls from any stable is cement
ed. Near the middle of the barnyard
is an underground cistern into which
all the water of the yard runs, to find
is way by drain pipes to the lOwlands
beyond. This liquid manures quite
large area, and spouts will be here
after used to run it over n larger space.
The manure from the horse barns falls
into IL basement where Il large drove of
pigs work on it. So great has become
the quantity made and 50 strong is it
N enriching qualities that there is an
abundance of manure for all the pur-
poses to which it now can well be APP
piled. The estimated quantity drawn
to the fields last year was 1000 loads,
and there are hundreds of loads now
that must be got out to make room for
what will accumulate through the
winter.
The second story is used for the COW
stables, where there is room to tie 80
cows. In the rear of the animals is
room and cOnveniences for putting in
bedding. In front there are places
where the hay falls from above, or is
pitched from the bay, which comes
Elown OH one side to the floor. There
ARE also some bins and meal rooms on
Iii A ar LOT
running up into the cupOla and the
whole building is thoroughly ventilat-
ed by windows and ventilatOrs. The
4 ties are chains, with separate cribs for
each animal. 1t is proposed to change
the ties soon to the swing stanchiOns.
There is a boiler apparatus in cOnnec-
zion, where steam is generated, which
passes to large box in which the hay
fed to the cows, having been previous
y cut by horse power cutter, is
steamed or cooked the meal, when
ever it is used being mixed and
steamed with it. Gen. GrOut believes
that this is money saving apparatus,
though it is considerable work to run
it. The COWS are fed rations of steam
ed feed and of ensilage the ensilage
once a day. The big silOs have a
capacity of 800 tons and this year the
corn crop was so heavy that it could
not be stored i'll the vaults, and pOr-
tiOns of it is in the field, there being no
room for it in the silOs or in the barn.
Gen. Grout believes in using some
meal, and uses it in feeding all fatten
experience in ensilage confirms his
original opinion that it is profitable
thing for any large farm. With all his
feeds his cows choose ensilage as the
best, and they thrive we'll OH it. AS
he is situated he can largely increase
his fodder, providing storage for the
Bame, with his ensilage corn, of which
he annually raises fifteen acres.
The cows are Jerseys and grade Jer
seys. They are thrifty and the butter
product commands high price. A
Cooley creamer and other approved
apparatus is used in the milk room.
There is an abundant supply of water
both in barn and yard. The COWS fed
on steamed feed and ensilage drink
very little, however. Good cows are
81 selected, and bred to as good bulls as
can be found with reference to n con
tinued improvement in the grade of the
cows. The third story of the big barn
is for the driveway, and hay storage.
This year it is literally full to the
ridge, as are all the barns and sheds.
8 The hay is cut for cows and horses on
this floor by horse power. The horse
barn is planned for convenience and
has about a dozen stalls we'll filled
in the winter season.